Beauty From Pain
by LuminaStolen
Summary: When Katarina Schmitz OC enters John H. Green Middle School after moving to Japan, things seem alright, although proved difficult. But things get tense when she meets the most popular boy in school. Sasuke Uchiha.
1. A New Beginning

Katarina slowly opened her eyes to find the blaring morning sun shining brightly into her eyes. It was August 31st, her first day of school at John H.Green Middle School. She was beginning 6th grade, and everything seemed to be harder when Kat had transferred from her scenic Colorado home in America to the bustling streets of Tokyo. It was difficult to accept that here; they of course fly the Japanese flag instead of the American. She studied hard to learn the basic Japanese she needed to communicate with the many who didn't speak English. But was relieved to know that children at the school she was attending were required to know both Japanese and English. So she wouldn't feel like a third wheel. But it didn't make a difference anyways. She wasn't very comfortable when it came the meeting new people. This was strange since she was usually stubborn, sarcastic and well, her. She was the kind of person who waited for people to come to _her_. Which obviously wasn't working very well since she didn't have any friends. She wasn't the best at math, and didn't have the courage to speak in front of people without getting nervous. She didn't think _anything_ was special about her.

She crawled sleepily out of bed and pulled out the long brown box under her bed that contained her new school uniform. She went into the bathroom and cleaned herself. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Katarina sighed as she looked into the mirror at her acne covered face. She had beautiful golden tan skin, pretty dark brown eyes, and long legs. But she didn't notice that. She turned to the side to look at her stomach. She wasn't overweight or even chubby, but just because her figure wasn't perfect, she criticized herself. She pulled her black, curly, shoulder-length hair into bun, leaving the first strands in the front out. She slipped on the white short-sleeved blouse and pleated blue skirt that reached just above the knee and clipped on the red tie. She did a 360 turn and checked herself in the mirror.

"_Please God, don't let me embarrass myself today"_, she thought as she pulled up the white knee highs and fastened the buckles on her black loafers. She checked her backpack, making sure she didn't forget anything, and made her way to the front door.

"Your dad says to give you this." Her mother said and give her a tight hug.

"And this is from me." She said and gave her daughter a peck on the cheek.

"Please be careful alright? I love you." Her mother told her.

"I love you too Mom. Goodbye!" She said and smiled as she closed the front door to her house. She was so happy to be able to go out for once by herself. Her mother always went _ everywhere _with her – so it seemed. She took a deep breath and smiled into the morning sun, trying her best to calm her nerves. But it didn't work.

Because that was when she saw _HIM_.


	2. School My Nightmare

Hope it wasn't to hard to read in the summary, but as you can see Katarina is an OC character, based on myself. Keep in mind that Itachi did commit the Uchiha murder, but is already dead, there is no ninja stuff going on, and Sakura doesn't like Sasuke, but Ino and a bunch of other girls do. Featuring lyrics from 'I need a hero'. I don't own that song.

Beware: this chapter is long.

Katarina felt like her breath was taken away as soon as she saw him. She had liked lots of guys before this, but never this strongly. She leaned against the side of her house, some of the shadows covering her face to conceal her slight blush.

His raven black hair had a tint of blue in it, and his creamy pale skin glowed in the morning sun, while his onyx eyes searched the streets (beware of fangirls).

"_I hope he doesn't see me..." _ Kat thought as she deepened her breathing, attempting to slow her heart rate down at the sight of him. She got a strong feeling from him, and it wasn't a happy one. However the 'deep breathing' only made it worse. She could swear she saw his ears perk up as he turned to face her.

_**Where have all the good men gone**_

_**And where are all the gods?**_

_**Where's the street-wise Hercules**_

_**To fight the rising odds?**_

_**Isn't there a white night upon a fiery steed?**_

_**Late at night I toss and turn and dream**_

_**Of what I need…**_

"Good Morning." He said in a terse voice, as his eyes narrowed to a cold stare.

"'Morning!" Kat said with a slight peak in her voice, as she gave him a closed smile,

ignoring the cold signals he gave her.

As he stared briefly into the sun for a moment, she quickly made her way to a nearby bench on her yard by the sidewalk, resting her head on her hands. She looked up as he slowly approached, a emotionless expression on his face.

"Mind if I sit there?" He asked. It sounded more like a demand then a question.

"Yeah its okay." She responded as she glanced at the open seat by her, then returning

her gaze to the oak trees that shaded the bench above her. He reluctantly took his seat by her on the bench.

"I thought I saw someone move into this house. Where are you from?" The stranger asked, with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"I just moved here a week ago from Colorado, that's in –"

"America. I know."

They both kept quiet until the bus arrived, stopping around 10 feet in front of the bench they were sitting on. Not wanting to waste anymore time doing nothing, Kat walked to the bus, with the cute stranger close behind. All the girls (with a few exceptions) swooned as he stepped on the bus. Expecting he would enjoy this sort of attention, she was surprised as he ignored them and kept walking. She searched for a seat, keeping a blank stare since she didn't want to draw any attention. She took a seat by a blonde her age with blue eyes and her long hair in a ponytail, her gaze fixed on the raven-haired boy sitting in the back of the bus. She smiled slightly as she sat close to the end of the seat.

"Oh hi there!" the girl said happily.

"I haven't seen you around here before, are you new here?" She questioned.

Kat nodded, she was about to say something when the peppy girl interrupted.

"See that hottie over there?" the girl said, pointing the boy she had met earlier.

"That's Sasuke Uchiha, the hottest boy in school. Isn't he the cutest!" the blonde squealed, her voice full of enthusiasm.

Kat looked and nodded casually, trying to hide her deep disappointment. She could see Sasuke was very popular, and if she continued to like him, she would just be another who girl who did. He probably thought she was weird anyways.

_**I need a hero**_

_**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night**_

_**He's gotta be strong**_

_**And he's gotta be fast**_

_**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight**_

_**I need a hero**_

_**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light**_

_**He's gotta be sure**_

_**And it's gotta be soon**_

_**And he's gotta be larger than life.**_

"You can't have him though. He's mine." She said with a determined and mischievous look on her face. A girl with teal eyes and bubblegum chin-length hair rolled her eyes at this comment.

"By the way, I'm Ino Yamanaka. Just stay away from Sasuke and you and I will be fine." Ino added with a fake smile. You could hear the threatening tone in her voice.

"Don't worry, I don't even like him." Kat responded, reassuring a suspicious Ino.

At the sound of this Ino and a bunch of other fangirls gasped and turned to stare at directly at Katarina with a mix of surprise and anger on their faces.

Kat raised an eyebrow at them all.

"_What! What the hell did I say to make them angry! Oh wait it was probably that stupid comment I made. 'Don't worry, I don't even like HIM.' I only said it 'cause I didn't want anybody to know how I really feel about him, and so I wouldn't have that flippin' Ino girl on my tail!" _ Kat thought as she ignored the girls, trying not to get herself into anymore trouble involving a stupid boy she would never have a chance with.

Kat nervously looked around at the new surroundings. She hadn't visited a school in three years. She had been homeschooled before this, and didn't get to meet many other children, only every Tuesday or Friday at the homeschool groups she used to go to. Even there she felt left out. She just wasn't as outgoing as the other kids. She kept her eyes on her schedule and located her first class. It was hard enough just to find her locker. She took her designated seat and kept her eyes on the desk to avoid eye contact with the other kids who were staring at her. She was so focused on trying to keep herself under control, she didn't even notice who her desk partner was (you don't get to choose). But neither did he. Sasuke just sat there – thinking – as he usually does. Katarina glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to conceal her red tinged face.

_**Somewhere after midnight**_

_**In my wildest fantasy**_

_**Somewhere just beyond my reach**_

_**There's someone reaching back for me**_

_**Racing on the thunder**_

_**Rising with the heat**_

_**It's gonna take a superman**_

_**To sweep me off my feet**_

Her attention was suddenly focused on her teacher as he noisily entered the classroom. He had brown hair tied up in a ponytail, tan skin, and a scar that streaked straight across the bridge of his nose.

"Hello! I see there are some new faces here! I'm Iruka Umino and I'll be your math teacher." The man said with a smile.

"Math! I thought this was social studies!" a blonde shouted from the left of you and Sasuke. He had a dumbstruck look in his bright blue eyes and some sort of weird scratches on the sides of his face.

"N-Naruto, p-please don't get so upset." A brunette whispered quietly from his side (she was his desk partner). You glanced over at their desks: Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga, their names written in fancy cursive.

Iruka began teaching and Kat tried her best to keep up. She was proud of herself since she was doing surprisingly well, even though she hadn't done this in a while. She swiftly took notes and wrote her sentences with ease. She noticed Sasuke shifting his eyes over to her briefly with a slight amount of interest. She kept a calm appearance on the outside, but was beaming on the inside. This day was actually going better than she thought, she just didn't want to mess it up. The only problem: Ino shooting her nasty looks since _she_ was paired with Sasuke, and not her.

At lunch Kat took her place happily at a table as the same girl she saw on the bus motioned for her to sit with them. She placed her tray on the table and smiled at Naruto, who was also sitting there, attempting to throw grapes at Sasuke, who was sitting alone at a nearby table behind them.

"Hey you're Katarina Schmitz right? Tell me, did you really mean that about Sasuke on the bus? I promise I won't tell a soul!" Sakura inquired excitedly moving closer to you so you could whisper the answer in her ear.

_**I need a hero**_

_**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night**_

_**He's gotta be strong**_

_**And he's gotta be fast**_

_**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight**_

_**I need a hero**_

_**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light**_

_**He's gotta be sure**_

_**And it's gotta be soon**_

_**And he's gotta be larger than life**_

"No, I just didn't want everyone to think I was a fangirl is all." Kat replied sadly.

"I thought so. You should be proud of yourself, you know – not to be so open about your feelings, especially when it involves a boy. By the way, I'm Sakura Haruno." She said with a smile.

"Its nice to meet you. By the way, you can call me Kitty." Kat responded.

"_Its good to meet a girl around here who isn't obsessed with **him**"_ Kat thought returning her gaze to Sasuke, who was picking at his food.

"Does he usually sit by himself like that?" She added, looking at Sakura curiously.

"Yeah, we tried to get him to sit with us once, but he said no. Hey do you want me to ask him for you? I could if you want." Sakura asked cheerfully.

"Heck no I-" She tried to object, but Sakura had already walked over to the table.

"_Damnit, here comes that annoying pink-haired girl. What the hell does she want?" _Sasuke thought, rolling his eyes at the sight of her.

"Hey Sasuke, um, I know we asked you this once before, but we thought you looked lonely so if you want you can come sit with-"

"No. I _don't_ want to. So you're just wasting your breath by asking me. So just go back over there and sit with your retarded little friends." He demanded coldly with a threatening look in his eye.

Sakura twitchily walked back over, her eyes wide with fear.

"Um, he said no."

The rest of the day didn't go very well, Asuma, their gym teacher, made them run two laps around the track in the scorching hot sun. Later, Sasuke dropped a slip of paper in the hall, and when he bent over to pick it up, fangirls swooned and sighed. Although she _was _a bit mesmerized too, Kat couldn't help but laugh.

_**Up where the mountains meet the heavens above**_

_**Out where the lightning splits the sea**_

_**I would swear there's someone somewhere**_

_**Watching me**_

"_Something's different about her."_ Sasuke thought as a sharp pain struck him in the chest suddenly as he looked at Kat. He winced but just ignored it as he kept on walking.

"_I see girls talking about their crushes or guys wondering about how to impress a girl. I just don't get it, what is there to get excited about? But, I guess I want to fall in love **too** someday. It just seems so difficult for a person like…me." _ Sasuke pondered as he stared blankly out the bus window.

"_I've never seen a guy more attractive then him. He is pretty cute, but I'm not in school to obsess over boys or worry about drawing them in. Not like I have the guts to try asking him out anyways. I can only dream about that." _ Kat thought on her way home on the bus, trying to think about other things except _her_ hero.

_**Through the wind and the chill and the rain**_

_**And the storm and the flood**_

_**I can feel his approach**_

_**Like fire in my blood**_

That's it for the second chapter! Will Sasuke find feelings for Katarina, whats up with the pains in his chest? And when will Naruto stop throwing grapes at him! Find out in the next chapter of (dramatic music) Beauty from Pain.


	3. Daydreams, Dances and Chest Pains

Hey guys! If you are reading this, I would like to thank you. Alright, so here's an update. I've been away from this story for a looonnng time, so there are going to be some MAJOR changes:

The year is 2007, and they're starting **7****th**** Grade**, not sixth. Also, school started on **August 27****th** I wrote this last year, so I decided to change it for this year.

Second, just so you have something to look forward to in this story (whatever) there will be a **Labor Day Dance** on **September 3****rd** I know it's a bit unrealistic, because school started not to long before that, but whatever. HERE WE GO!!

By the way, this is rated T I suppose, for language. It also has citrus and fluff in there. Its also pretty long. :) Enjoy! And remember, I don't own Naruto.

* * *

CHAPTER THREE: Daydreams, Dances and Chest Pains

* * *

_She shuddered, reeling back in shock on the bench they were sitting on._

_Seeing his pale, half-lidded eyes, and the sight of him licking his thin, rosy lips, advancing toward her, made it feel as if her heart was about to burst through her chest, due to its heavy beating._

"_Wha-What are you doing?!" she managed to squeak out, as her eyes widened and her face blushed a deep shade of maroon._

"_Just showing you," he crooned softly into her ear as he brushed away one of her black curls; "how much I really care, Kitty-chan." He continued, as he sensuously licked the shell of her ear. She gasped and attempted to push him away. "What's the matter?" he pondered; "don't you want my kisses?" the raven-haired boy purred, cupping her face as he placed a deliciously chaste kiss upon her lips._

_He pulled away, chuckling slightly to himself. "You can't believe this, can you? Can't you see that I want you, Katarina-san?"_

"Sa-Sasuke!"

Katarina sat in silence, as a cold sweat dampened her forehead. This….This had never happened before…She had….She had _dreamed_ of him! She shook her head in an attempt to whisk away the strange feelings from her heart. _"No…I….I won't let HIM get to me." _She thought to herself as she climbed out of bed, slipping on her PJ pants. _"If I do, I'll be just like all the others. And I refuse to be considered 'stupid' because of that!" _

She glanced at the digital clock near her bed. It was 6:28, two minutes before the time she was supposed to wake up to get ready for school. It was only her second day, and she was already starting to regret going back to 'real' school after being homeschooled.

"_Kat, you dumbass. What the HELL were you thinking?! Dreaming of him?! …..But its not like I had a choice…But, if I wasn't so stupid as to become 'infatuated' with that damn Uchiha, NONE OF THIS would have happened." _She mentally scolded herself as she washed and dressed herself for hell— I mean school.

* * *

"Hey, Kat!" the pink-haired girl called as she ran frantically over to her fellow classmate.

Kat raised an eyebrow as she gently tugged on 'An Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures', pulling it from the library shelf. Sakura practically ran into the tan skinned young girl as she skidded to a stop. _"Oh great, I'm about to hear an earful." _Kat thought as she clutched the book firmly in her hands, attempting to restrain herself from whacking her ally across the head.

"Kat! Guess what I heard?" Guess! I dare you!" she squealed excitedly.

"Oh no! You mean Bonne Bell Cosmetics went bankrupt?!" Katarina said sarcastically.

Sakura's eye twitched in irritation at her friend's irony. "No. I heard there was gonna be a Labor Day dance for all the sixth and seventh graders!" Sakura said, irritating Kat in the fact that she 'couldn't resist' jumping up and down enthusiastically.

"Don't try and fool me. A Labor Day _dance_? Who the heck in their right mind would think of that?" Kat replied as she eyed Sakura suspiciously.

Sakura sighed. "I'm NOT lying. Here, see for yourself." She added, pulling a piece of paper out of her jean pocket and unfolding it, revealing it to be a flyer for the dance.

"Are you gonna go?"

"I don't know. It depends. Are we supposed to bring dates with us?"

"Hmmm…" Sakura hummed as she quickly scanned the flyer. "Oh, yeah." She responded with a slightly shocked look plastered on her face. "Dates may be acquired before or during the dance, but all students must dance with a member of the opposite sex _at least_ once."

Kat's eyes widened. _"'At least' once?! Who the hell writes this crap?! What if no one wants to dance with me? I'll be too nervous to ask them myself!" _the twelve year old worriedly thought she stared absentmindedly off into space. She wasn't going. That was absolute. She was _sure_ no one was going to ask her, and going alone anyway would just be STUPID and embarrassing. About to tell her friend, she quickly glanced to her right, only to see that the teal-eyed girl had been 'replaced' by a 'certain' raven.

She stared dumbly at him for a few seconds as his obsidian eyes skimmed the shelves. Briefly tearing his eyes from his task, he gave her a cold glance.

Katarina nearly let out a squeak of surprise as she turned her head back to face the books.

"_Calm down, stupid. Its no big deal, just ignore him and keep looking" _she told herself as she pretended to skim the titles. Seeing an interesting book, she reached for it. As her hand rested on the book, something warm was pushed gently on top of it.

She gasped and froze. But her heart forced her to turn and look at him. Sasuke.

There was a slight scowl on his face, obviously irritated with the fact that _she_ hadn't moved _her_ hand yet.

"Uh," she stuttered and tugged her right hand, trying to get it loose from under his. "you can have that one. I-I didn't really want it anyways." She said, looking away so the 'handsome raven' wouldn't see her slightly red face.

"Fine." He answered, removing his hand from her own and placing the book onto the small stack already in his arms.

Thinking she would feel relief from the embarrassing situation, she felt something strange pull at her stomach, a feeling she had never felt before. Kat swallowed, getting a nauseous feeling, as if she was about to vomit….words?!

"H-Hey!" she shouted, a bit too loud in fact. Sasuke pivoted on his heel to face her, an eyebrow raised. That's when it hit her. What the HELL was she doing?! She called after him like an idiot, with the intention of saying something she would usually only _think_ about saying.

"Um….Uh…." she stuttered hopelessly and swallowed, feeling as if doom was coming her way.

"Did you hear about the Labor Day dance?" she blurted out. Oh no, she made it sound as if she wanted to ask him! She mentally slapped herself, only to hear his response.

"_Is she…asking me to the dance?" _He scowled at her, causing her to sulk and hang her head in embarrassment. He could see the large blush over her cheeks. _"I should've known she wasn't any different from the rest of them. Just because she's smart and HAPPENS to be a good artist, doesn't mean anything to me. Wait," _He caught himself, _"why did I even notice those things? Was I actually considering GOING with her?!" _he thought as he looked at her.

"Yeah, but….no one's asked me, so I'm probably not going." He answered, just to see the look on her face. She looked at him, shocked, as if she couldn't believe that.

"Well, no one I like anyways." He added, shielding his face with his bangs to hide his blush. _"This girl...she...Does she?...Do I?" _A sharp pain struck him in his chest—no, his heart. He didn't wince this time though, it had been happening a lot, since..._"Why do I want to…" _he thought as a powerful, hot feeling washed over him.

The Uchiha walked away, and _almost_ without meaning to, he turned his head towards her and….._smiled. _And a _knowing_ smile, as if he was hiding something from her. _"Heh, like I'd let her know."_

Watching him walk down the hall, Katarina tried to recover from the incident. She blinked and stared blankly as her head processed what just happened.

"Whoah."

* * *

The rest of the day went quite smoothly for Kat. She zipped through her classes, and lunch actually was tolerable in taste. After her classes, she swept the floor of the art room. At the end of school, she shoved her books inside her backpack and kept to herself, as usual. She and Sakura didn't speak much, Sakura was too excited about the dance, and Kat had been replaying her moment with _HIM_ over and over like a record player.

Feeling the vibrating sensation of her cell phone, Kat took it out of her front pocket and clicked the green phone symbol as she stepped outside the school.

"Mom?"

"Hey sweetie! Um, I was getting ready to come and get you, but the Explorer won't start. So I had your Dad come home to try and fix it. He said that the battery is dead, so he'll have to jump it with his truck. I might not be there for an hour. Are you gonna be okay?"

Kat sighed in frustration. She only rode the bus yesterday to see what it would be like. She was getting rides to school from her mom starting today.

"Yeah, I'll just wait outside for you or something."

"Well don't you wanna take the bus home?"

Katarina grimaced. She didn't even want to _think_ about what she'd have to hear about Sasuke from all those fangirls. _Somehow_ someone would find out about her 'chat' with Sasuke, and she'd get an earful from them.

"NO! I mean…I'll just wait. I'll be fine, other kids stay here after school sometimes."

"Alright, I'll get there as soon as I can!"

"'Kay, bye."

She sighed. She would have to find something to do until her mom picked her up. Seeing one of the older students cleaning up, she worked up the courage to speak to him.

"Excuse me, do you know what time they usually lock all the doors?"

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"It'll take us a while to do this, so probably about an hour and a half."

"Thank you."

It suddenly came to her. Walking into the music room, she closed the door behind her, leaving it unlocked just in case. Kat took a deep breath, and pulled out her Ipod shuffle. Putting the headphones in her ears, she switched it on to her favorite j-pop song.

And with one more deep breath, she began to sing.

* * *

Woo! That was pretty long, ne? No? Fine. Erm, if you liked this story even the slightest bit, please leave a review with a nice compliment or constructive criticism. I've only gotten one, and if you have the time, I'd really appreciate another.

Also, the next chappie will include the song Katarina is singing, and lets just say a certain someone joins her. It will be uploaded soon, probably today! Arigato!


	4. To Answer Your Heart Song

Woot! So, here we are on the 4th chapter of Beauty from Pain. This particular one has a song in it, as does chapter two. Featuring: Blue by Utada Hikaru. I'm sure all of you Kingdom Hearts fans are familiar with her. Not all of the lyrics are there, I skipped some parts. And also, I included a bit of the English translation to 'spice it up'. :D Lastly, the lyrics Sasuke sings are in italics, while Kat's are in bold italics.

I do not own the song, nor am I the owner of Naruto. Thank you, and enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 4: To Answer Your Heart Song

* * *

Setting his backpack down with a hollow 'thump', Sasuke pushed his back up against the wall and slid down to the tile floor. Opening his book, 'The Sun Also Rises', he began to leisurely read the text. This was not out of the ordinary for the Uchiha, as he sometimes read to pass the time. Why at school? Pfft, _he_ didn't even know.

Usually sitting by the music room to listen to band practice, choir practice, or just any old body playing any kind of instrument. He didn't know why, it was just 'fun'. Yeah, _fun._

Lazily turning a page, he heard a soft noise coming from the music room. Due to the door being closed, it sounded muffled and unclear. Out of curiosity, he slipped a finger under the door and pulled it toward him, opening it a bit more. What he heard amused him.

A person singing.

She had a deeper voice, so he originally assumed it was a young boy. But as her voice picked up in crescendo, he noticed it to be more _feminine._

She wasn't a very good singer. Not at all. Her voice cracked at times because she couldn't hit the higher notes, and she couldn't hold notes for long.

"_But it still sounds so good."_ Sasuke thought, puzzled slightly as he laid down his book and rest his head against the wall. _"Its almost as if…This song really means something to her…Like it…speaks for her soul. And this voice…Its so…familiar…I've heard it before, I know it." _he pondered as he unknowingly began swaying to the music.

* * *

Katarina's breath hitched as she saw the door open only slightly, but tried her best to ignore it and continued singing. _"I hope I'm not bothering anyone.." _she thought as she began to sing the first verse of the song. 

"_**Minareta machi, minareta hito**_

_**Subete ga saikin marude tooi kuni no dekigoto **_

_**Mou ichi do kanjitai ne, kurayami no naka de**_

_**kibou ga orinasu Azayaka na ongaku"**_

Sasuke swayed softly to her gentle but firm ballad, listening intently to the lyrics.

"_This…This song…Why does it affect me like this? I've never…gotten a feeling like this before…" _he solemnly thought to himself as he clutched his heart, feeling the same strike of pain in it, but was soon interrupted by the upstart of the lively chorus. It was then that he realized, he knew this song. And immediately without thinking, started to let his own voice slip past his lips to sing the softened background vocals.

"_**No matter how painful the time**_

_**Why is it that I sing? **__(Saane?)_

_**I don't want to love anymore**_

_**Hanarete ku no wa naze? **__(Darling, darling, ah!)"_

He simply couldn't help letting his lips curve slightly into a little smile. He hadn't done that in such a long time, that it almost felt strange to his body.

"_I've been trying to deny it, but…I don't think I can anymore... This song...And who is this girl?! But its almost as if…that doesn't matter. I don't know why anymore, I just want to let my heart sing. I want to forget what happened...I don't want this! I don't want to be like this any longer!"_

Feeling his thoughts race madly through his head, Sasuke felt as if the song was beginning to take over him. Almost _controlling_ him. Standing up, his hips moved smoothly from side to side, creating a tempo of their own to match her aria.

"_**Zenzen nani mo kikoenai**_

_**Sabaku no yoake ga mabuta ni utsuru**_

_**Zenzen namida koborenai **_

_**BURUU ni natte mita dake"**_

Katarina paused in her singing for a moment, glancing at the door to see a shadow under the crack. She swallowed. Was someone actually…_listening_ to her? She was unable to recognize the 'stranger', but could see his body move swiftly to her heart song. She smiled, making up her mind in mere seconds as her heart jumped. She was going to sing for him, her audience. She let her canticle carry on with passion and force, unknowingly rattling 'him' to his core.

"_**Onna no ko ni umareta kedo**_

_**Watashi no ichiban niau no wa ko no iro **_

_**Mou nani mo kanjinai ze Sonna toshigoro ne  
**_

_**Doukeshi no aware Mawari dasu shoumei"**_

"_**Even on nights this cold**_

_**Who is the one singing?**__ (Who?)_

_**Genkouyoushi 5,6 mai **_

_**BURUU no inku no shirabe"**_

"_**Mou ichi do shinjitai ne Uramikko nashi de**_

_**Osokarehayakare hikari wa todoku ze"**_

"_**No matter how painful the time**_

_**Why do I live? **__(Who knows?)_

_**I don't want glory at all**_

_**Normality is the best"**_

_**  
**_That was it. He had the urge, his time had come. Listening to her croon softly, he sang the bridge along with her in fervor.

"_**Darling, Darling, ah... Questions make me blue  
**_

_**Darling, Darling, ah... Tell me something good.."**_

Hearing him serenade to her, she responded with her 'call'.

"_**Let me feel it one more time, with a heart from performance!"**_

"_**Anta ni nani ga wakarundai?**_

_**Kamau no wa naze? **__(Saane?)_

_**Mou renai nante shitaku nai**_

_**Hanarete ku no wa naze? **__(Darling, darling ah!) _

Relishing in each others voices, they belted out the final chorus together, letting their voices trail off in unison.

"_**Zenzen nani mo kikoenai**_

_**Sabaku no yoake ga mabuta ni utsuru**_

_**My tears don't spill at all**_

_**BURUU ni natte mita dake!"**_

* * *

Kat slowly opened the door to the music room with a small creaking noise, only to see the shadow or her 'audience' move. Sasuke attempted to scramble away from the door, not wanting to be seen by the singer, but she had already saw him. 

His eyes widened. That girl? But she was from his class! He was confused, he didn't know what to say to her, _or_ what to think about her. Turning his head, he sensed the bright pink blush spreading over his face.

"_Don't tell me." _Kat thought to herself, _"Was he the one…singing? To me?! I want to ask, but…" _Once again, she felt as if she was about to say something that would embarrass her later on.

"Um….W-Were you the one…singing out here?" Katarina asked, trying to act casual, even though her voice trembled and her face felt hot.

"That depends." The raven replied. "Were _you_ the one singing in there?" he questioned, a slight smirk on his face in addition to his red hot blush.

"Y-Yes." She managed to stammer, trying not to make a fool of herself, though she was failing miserably.

"Then it was."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! The next chappie will be up roughly about…two or three days from now. Honestly. Please, if you enjoyed the story, leave a nice review with a compliment or constructive criticism. I look forward to more readers! 

Ja ne!

_**  
**_

_**  
**__**  
**_


	5. No Way in Hell!

Hey you guys! Once again, I must thank you all for reading. This chapter has the characters experiencing a lot of drama and mixed feelings. I'm starting to think that chapter seven will be the 'Fourth of July' chapter, for all of you who were expecting it.

Special thanks to Chinbaldo for adding me to their alert list.

WARNING: Fluff bonanza. This particular chapter is chock full of pointless thoughts and citrus. You have been warned.

Thank you, and enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 5: No Way in Heck!!

* * *

The tan-skinned girl tossed and turned in the cotton sheets, growing tired of the negative thoughts that racked her brain. She just wanted to forget how much she….how much she _loved_ it when he did those…those _things... _She sat up in bed and shook her head wildly. 

No! She absolutely refused to think that way about him!

She scolded herself for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was stupid, almost insulting to know that almost every seventh grade girl at John H. Green Middle School felt the same way about him as she did. It sickened Katarina to know that she was being lumped in with a bunch of mindless, gushing fangirls. And what terrified her more, was that she may have been _slowly_ turning into one.

"Damn Uchiha." Kat muttered under her breath, cursing the cause of her shame and insomnia.

"_Its only a waste of time to dream about him. ALL of those girls have a better chance than I do at possibly 'courting' him." _she thought as she laid back down on the soft, downy comforter.

She remembered. She remembered, that starting when she was just a little girl, all of her other female classmates had crushes…._Crushes that liked them back._ She had never had that. They may have been friends, but not a single boy had ever been attracted to her.

But why? She knew for a fact that she wasn't pretty. She didn't stand out, and always had a look on her face that said she didn't want to be bothered. Was it because she was ugly? Maybe. Probably, even. But she thought that _perhaps_ her personality could change the way people looked at her.

"_But that's not true. That's only something mothers tell their children to stop them from worrying about their looks. And it worked on me. So...I'm destined to be alone. Yay."_

* * *

Sasuke walked into the school hallway, his feet making gentle noises on the linoleum floor. He gave a quick glance in all directions, surveying his surroundings, and making sure none of _them_ were around. Oh yes, there would be lots of 'them' starting today. And Monday and Tuesday. Up till Wednesday, the day of the Fourth of July dance. He winced at the thought of dozens of girls running up to him, asking him to go with them. 

"_They don't matter anyway. I already know who I'm going to ask." _The Uchiha stopped dead in his tracks. _"What did I just think?! Who the hell am I talking about? Whatever. I've wasted enough time already." _He thought as he opened his locker. _"Now lets see, I need schoolbooks for Math and Social Stu-"_

He was abruptly cut off as a mountain of hand written 'invite' notes poured out of his locker. Looking around, he saw a crowd of fangirls, smiling and looking at him hopefully - _waiting for him. _

"_Damnit."_

Pushing his way though a sea of students, the young Uchiha scrambled to get to class, with the fangirls close behind. _"Relax, Sasuke. Don't freak out, just get to class. Just get to—" _he assured himself, right before he smacked into something solid.

Knocked to the ground, all of Katarina's anger was unleashed. It was him, the cause of the stress that was built up in her mind _and_ her heart.

"Watch it Uchiha!! You don't own the school. You got that?!" Kat spat at him as an array of papers and essays fell to the floor. That's when she caught herself. Why…why did she just say that? He hadn't even done anything to her, yet she was pissed and not afraid to show it.

As she sorted out his papers from hers, a jumble of swear words and apologies flooded her brain. She wanted to curse him out, but at the same time….Shaking it off, she handed him his papers with a harsh scowl as she struggled to stand. He didn't even help her up!

Sasuke stared blankly at her as he accepted his belongings from her hands. He didn't know what to say. He was…tongue-tied, and he didn't know how to fix it. Feeling as if his heart was lodged in his throat, he managed to croak a "Sorry" as he hid his face, shuffling his feet to homeroom.

* * *

Sasuke was confused. And that was rare. Every time he glanced at her, no matter what she was doing, he struggled to keep the heat away from his pale cheeks. He felt feverish and shaky every time he saw Kat, not to mention the sudden strikes of those irritating chest pains. Seconds after each of these events, the Uchiha would stare blankly into space, trying to understand his feelings, but every time he would put it off as 'nothing'. 

Kat glanced at the raven-haired boy, feeling guilt wash over her. She brushed it away.

"_He doesn't care what others – let alone what I – think."_ She told herself as she ate her lunch quietly, making a note to stay away from the Uchiha, starting now.

* * *

He couldn't take this anymore, it was ridiculous. He had never felt this way about her before, so why now? She was just a worthless nobody. A loser. Yet his heart jumped and beat at a quickened pace every time he even _looked_ at her. 

Watching Katarina walk by, Sasuke stepped backwards into a shadow, attempting to conceal his bright red face. He clutched his schoolbook as he closed his eyes tightly, feeling as if he had sunk to an all-time low.

"_I shouldn't be thinking like this. I need to focus on my studies. THAT'S whats important, not that __**stupid**__ girl." _He tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry. He tried to concentrate on class, but his mind pathetically wondered to unusual fantasies. The raven clenched his teeth and let out a near audible growl of frustration. These thoughts needed to cease. Now.

* * *

Finally! Finally she could get away from this madhouse known as 'school' and get home to a relaxing, stress-free environment. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Kat rushed towards the front door, only to be halted by a strange sight. 

Almost all of the seventh grade students were slowly taking empty spots on two adjacent benches. What she noticed was that the girls sat on one bench, while the boys sat on the other.

"Sakura, what's going on here?" Katarina asked cluelessly to her teal-eyed friend, who happened to be seated on the girl's bench herself.

"You don't know?!" she asked, alarmed. "If we sit here, we might get asked to the dance. Don't you wanna go?"

Katarina's eyes widened. She wanted to go, she was sure of it now. She didn't care if she could possibly get her heart broken, this was her chance to finally be loved, and she was going to seize it. Setting her backpack on the carpet, the curly haired girl sat next to Sakura, glancing up at the boys sitting opposite of her. She would have been lucky to be asked by any of them.

* * *

Slowly, time went by. Every once in a while a boy would 'cross over' to the girls and stutter nervously, asking if she would accompany him to the dance. Usually, the chosen female would nod excitedly and take his hand. Sometimes, however, she would scowl and turn him down, or desperately try and make up an excuse as to why she couldn't go. 

As the minutes passed, more and more of her classmates had found partners, and soon there was only herself, and Tayuya, the class rebel. Within seconds, the very last male had crossed and reluctantly asked the fiery red head.

She was all alone.

Even Sakura was gone, Naruto had asked her, and she accepted. Kat felt tears approach, gently stinging her near black eyes. She knew this would happen. She knew she'd be left behind.

Standing up against his locker, Sasuke felt a wave of sadness come over him. He felt bad for her, but convinced his heart otherwise.

"_She got what she deserved. Maybe she'll learn not to talk to me that way if she doesn't want to face the consequences. Or the karma, rather."_

It seemed as if she couldn't hold it in anymore. Hanging her head, Kat let her tears overflow and spill down her cheeks. She tried to fight the feelings, angrily wiping away the droplets that trickled down her face.

Sasuke appeared shocked. The way she acted, the way she talked….he never thought she would break down like this, right there in front of him! He felt guilty, thinking those terrible things about her, acting as if she wasn't worth his time. He didn't understand himself anymore. When other girls acted like this, it didn't bother him a bit. In fact, it mad him despise them even more.

The raven's legs shook as a crippling blow was delivered to his chest once more. But it wasn't pain. It was…something else. These feelings in his chest…they never happened until _she_ showed up. It was always when _she_ was around.

The Uchiha had _**finally **_gotten it. He remembered what he had said to himself, and now he understood. Now he knew what was 'wrong' with him, and why he felt so strange around Katarina.

_flashback_

"_I see girls talking about their crushes or guys wondering about how to impress a girl. I just don't get it, what is there to get excited about? But, I guess I want to fall in love __**too**__ someday."_

_end flashback_

"_I finally realize...I'm...I'm in...I'm in love with Katarina-san."_

Sasuke face felt his face redden considerably as he came to recognize his intense feelings for his classmate.

"_The dance...I'm...I've got to. I've got to ask her. Not today, but tomorrow."_ He thought as he lifted his head to the sky, his heart pounding furiously against his chest.

He smiled.

"_Tomorrow. Tomorrow for sure._


	6. Jokes? Not Today

Hello you guys. Unfortunately, there may be a delay on the 4th of July chapter. Maybe if I had worked on these before hand, this wouldn't have been a problem. -.-'Gomenasai!

Alright, lets get this show on the road. By the way, I hope Sasuke's 'primping' isn't too much for you fangirls out there.

This chapter includes sugary fluff and sweet emotions. Nothing but raw puppy love. :3

* * *

CHAPTER SIX: Jokes? Not Today.

* * *

The raven-haired Uchiha sat on his bed, completely alone in the mansion. Concentrating solely on the piece of paper in front of him, he formed each calligraphy letter slowly, wanting to get every word right without messing up. He nodded silently to himself and signed his name, pleased that he had finally perfected it.

He struggled to walk to his desk, shuffling through dozens of crumpled rough drafts and error-ridden pieces of paper that he had thrown on the floor in frustration. Waving the letter in the air to make sure it was dry, he folded and carefully fitted it into an embossed envelope, running his tongue across the adhesive to seal it shut.

"There." Sasuke said to himself as he carefully wrote her name on the front of the envelope.

"Perfect."

Now all he had to do was _somehow_ get her to read it.

* * *

Sasuke sighed deeply. This would be the day. He blushed bright red, but cursed himself, still trying to deny the way she made him feel. Ever since the family 'incident', Sasuke had vowed to find a focus in life. He had no hobbies, and there wasn't a person that he lived for, so he dedicated his life to his studies. There was nothing besides that anyways. But _maybe_ if she accepted, this girl could change that.

Picking up a comb, the raven ran it through his blue-black hair thoroughly; making sure it was shiny and free of tangles. He slipped the metal cuffs over the shells of his ears, fastened the lobster clasp on the cross pendant around his neck, and spritzed the perfect amount of an enticing, sweet-smelling cologne. To top it all off, he applied a steady stroke of black eyeliner on each upper lid.

For once in his life he was nervous, afraid that his 'curly-haired beauty' might turn him down. At first he was stubborn, not wanting to accept the fact that he had 'succumbed' to love.

But nevertheless, it was time to execute the plan.

To Sasuke, love was a disease. And he had been fatally infected.

* * *

Kat scowled, looking at the couples in disgust. She couldn't stand how cruel and ungrateful girls got all the sweet and caring guys. Or perhaps, the way Sasuke got all the girls to fawn over him, even though he couldn't care less about them. She didn't even want to think about him right now, but she couldn't get him to leave her thoughts.

"_Stuck-up bastard. Any girl who's in love with him is stupid...Did I just insult my own intelligence? Whatever. All of this will be even __**worse**__ at the dance..." _she pondered as she stacked her school papers and put them neatly into her backpack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she began walking to the school's doors, only to hear a soft 'thud' behind her.

Turning around, she saw that it was a piece of parchment rolled up to look like a scroll, with a purple ribbon tied around it. Obviously, it had fallen out of her backpack, since she was the only one standing there. Unrolling it, she found it to be a note addressed to her.

_Katarina,_

_As soon as you read this after school, meet me under the oak tree by the memorial bell. I'm not playing with you, this is important to me. I'm anticipating this, so don't make me wait. If you don't come, I'll assume that you want nothing to do with me. If so, I understand. And one last thing; this is something of a personal affair, so don't go talking about it to others._

_Signed,_

_You don't need to know that right now._

Katarina cocked an eyebrow. Someone actually wanted to see her? Either this person was out of their mind, or blind. Or both. And the way the letter was worded. 'Personal affair'? What did they mean by 'personal'? But whatever. An invite was an invite, and since she had the time, there was no reason why she shouldn't go. Besides, by not seizing this opportunity, she could have been missing out on some sort of 'dream come true'. But lets not get _too _carried away here.

Rushing to the girls bathroom, Kat quickly fixed her hair and coated her lips with a ruby colored gloss. She took a deep breath, and stepped outside the school, running to the memorial bell.

About 20 feet in front of the destination, she stopped and peered behind one of the walls, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person who was supposedly waiting for her. What she saw shocked her slightly.

The person's face wasn't visible at all. All she could see was his clothing, which did NOT consist of their school uniform. Katarina wondered if he even went to her school at all. He wore a tight black shirt with three thin sets of chains that hung from each shoulder, and there was a collar with a ribbon on it around his neck. Each ribbon had a white cross stitched onto it. His pants were fairly tight and hugged his hips, which were accentuated with a studded leather belt. But the strangest thing of all was that the stranger was holding a black parasol that was cascaded with onyx beads, using it to shield himself.

There was no one else around, only her and the 'foreigner'. Kat was almost too scared to approach him. The way he dressed excited her, but made her wary at the same time. But a strange sensation encouraged her to proceed forward. She walked slowly in small steps toward him, her heart pounding hard, and her throat dry, making it difficult to swallow. She stopped a ways in front of him, not taking another step unless she had to.

From under the lacy parasol, the unknown male smirked sexily.

"So you came."

Katarina said nothing. She froze stupidly, her words stuck in her mind.

"Well? Don't you have something to say to me? Or are you just being shy?" His hand reached forward and unexpectedly stroked her cheek, making her jerk away. Kat could only emit a gasp of shock.

"So…." She said uncomfortably, struggling to find something to say. "You're the one who wrote that note, a-aren't you?"

He gave an even wider smirk. "Here." He said, handing her a fancy lilac envelope. "That'll explain everything," the stranger paused for a second. "darling."

A soft maroon blush tickled Katarina's cheeks as her eyebrows furrowed. Romance?! Was that his definition of a personal affair? She reluctantly accepted the envelope, but kept a close eye on him, even catching a glimpse of his reddened face. Succeeding in opening it, she gently tugged on the piece of paper within and unfolded it. Another note? No, it was a rather lengthy letter. Eyeing him suspiciously, she began to read it to herself slowly, and with each word her blush began to grow.

_Dearest Katarina,_

_Though I surely thought that something like this would never happen to me, I believe I have found myself experiencing intimate feelings for you. You know who I am, though I don't show my face, and I was sure that you would figure out who I am by now. But perhaps I was wrong. Please, under all circumstances, do not take my feelings lightly. Though I tried to make them disappear, I don't think they'll be subsiding anytime soon. _

_I keep dreaming of proclaiming my affections to you, whispering sweet somethings in your ear, and most of all, kissing those soft, plump lips of yours... I've never desired anyone else, and I want to make you my first love, Katarina-san. _

_I can tell by looking into your eyes that something isn't quite right in your life. As if something's wrong, or missing. If you accept me as your own, I can promise to fulfill you, and will treat you with the utmost respect. Any part of me that you may desire is yours and yours alone. I vow to mend your heart if you mend mine._

_By you reading this, there is only one question that needs to be answered._

"Will you take me as your lover, Katarina-san?"

She could only stand there, dumbfounded. Was this guy serious?!

"B-But I don't even know who you are!"

The stranger smiled and revealed his face, moving the parasol to expose himself to the bright sun. Those onyx eyes. That pale white skin. And that damn cockatoo hairstyle.

"Sasuke?!" she screeched out, taking a step backwards. "U-Uh…This is a joke right? Y-You don't really mean this! R-Right?" Kat said, laughing nervously and waiting for him to say something along the lines of, '_Of course_ I was only kidding.'

"Jokes? You've got to be kidding me. I'm serious." He said, taking a step towards her.

"So, are you gonna take up my offer?" he crooned softly into her ear.

"What?! You're out of your frikkin' mind! Have you seen my face lately?!" Kat said, pointing to her rather large nose.

"Yeah. What's wrong with it? I like what I see." The raven said, trying to reassure her, but she continued to stare at him in disbelief. "Kat, please. I'm loosing my patience." he said through gritted teeth, cupping her chin in his hand. "I'm _serious._ Do I have to beg on my knees for you? 'Cause I will if I have to. Whatever it takes to get you to say yes."

"I...I-I don't believe you." She responded, tears beginning to sting her eyes. No one could ever love her, she had learned that _years _ago.

The Uchiha blushed a lovestruck shade of red, and as a last resort, dropped pathetically to his knees. Katarina's eyes widened.

"I'm _dead_ serious, Katarina. I've never felt lower than this before." He proclaimed, stooping to a level he never thought he would reach.

"I can't even _look_ at you without feeling pain in my heart. I want you so bad; I can't even deny it anymore. I **hate** you for making me feel this way….But I love you because it feels so good." Sasuke said, digging his nails into her back as he kneeled in front of Kat. Unable to hold in his mixed feelings of anger and passion, two tears spilled out his obsidian orbs. He scowled and turned away, ashamed of himself for blurting out his emotions like some sort of soap opera actor.

"See?! Do you see what you're doing to me?!" Sasuke spat angrily, lazily beating a fist against her shoulder.

Instead of being shocked or even angry at his words, Katarina stepped forward and firmly wrapped her arms around him, gently stroking his back as she began to shed her own tears. He attempted to squirm away from her affections, though she only held him tighter. Sasuke ended up relaxing into her touch, chin resting on her shoulder. Minutes later, he unexpectedly dug his nails into her back, painfully this time.

"W-Why haven't you answered me!" he asked, trying to cover his flushed face with his bangs. Kat said nothing, only standing there, confused once more. "Don't leave me like this!" he begged, forming tears clouding his eyesight.

Katarina harshly grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him roughly back into her arms again, trying to force some sense into him.

"I wasn't, and I'm not going to." She said boldly.

He opened his mouth to object, but closed it soon after, for he really had nothing to say. The tan-skinned girl continued to calm and soothe him, running her hands up and down the Uchiha's back in a loving manner. Sasuke pushed away from her, a questioning look on his face.

"What does this mean?" he asked.

"W-Well..." she stuttered, a large blush creeping over her face. "I suppose it means…" She took a deep breath and pushed those three words out of her throat shakily. "It means I…I …It means I love you, alright?" She blurted out, turning her head.

Sasuke smiled brightly, his first real smile in years.

"So you feel the same."

* * *

Hopefully none of you thought Sasuke was too out of character in this chapter. Well okay, I know he was, but he has to be for it to work out. Sorry if it disappointed you. Also, I'd like to know **if anyone would like me to write a Sasuke and Katarina lime.** If so, leave a review saying so, please. Honestly, if you do, I WILL write one!

I haven't uploaded any chapters for MONTHS and I'm starting to feel like a real loser for making empty promises about the 'Fourth of July' chapter. But somehow, I WLL make it up to all my readers. :)


End file.
